The Federal Government has condemned the attack on Government Girls’ Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, which claimed the life of the Vice-Principal and led to the abduction of 25 students.

In a statement issued on Monday and signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr. Mohammed Idris, the Federal Government said security and intelligence agencies had been given clear directives to locate, rescue, and safely return the students, and to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

The government expressed deep concern and solidarity with the families of the abducted students, noting that it shares in their pain and remains firmly committed to securing the release of the girls.

According to the minister, President Bola Tinubu has reiterated that protecting every Nigerian, especially schoolchildren, remains a solemn responsibility of the State.

“The government condemns the reprehensible attack on innocent students and the killing of school officials who were carrying out their noble duty.

“Our security and intelligence agencies have been issued clear directives to locate, rescue, and safely return the students, and to ensure that the perpetrators face justice. The Federal Government will not relent until this objective is achieved.

“We assure Nigerians that strengthening internal security remains a top priority. The Federal Government is recalibrating the nation’s military, policing, and intelligence capabilities to prevent these attacks more effectively and to respond with greater speed and precision whenever threats arise.

“Nigeria is also reinforcing cooperation with regional partners through ECOWAS, the African Union, and the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to secure our borders and disrupt terrorist and criminal networks. We urge the public to remain calm and confident,” the statement read in part.

The students were reportedly abducted on Sunday night when gunmen invaded the school in the Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area.

According to sources, the attackers killed the school’s Vice-Principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, before abducting several schoolgirls. Witnesses said the bandits operated without resistance, causing widespread panic and throwing the entire region into fear and mourning.

Meanwhile, the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) has strongly condemned the attack on Government Girls’ Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

The attack led to the abduction of 25 female students and the reported killing of a school official.

Reacting to the incident on Monday in Gombe, the Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Gombe State, Mr. Inuwa Yahaya, described the abduction as tragic, senseless, and utterly unacceptable.

In a statement issued by his media aide, Mr. Yahaya said the continued targeting of schools posed a grave threat to the region’s stability and to the nation’s educational future.

On behalf of his colleagues in the NSGF, he commiserated with the government and people of Kebbi State, particularly the families of the abducted students and those who lost loved ones in the attack. He also assured Governor Nasir Idris of the Forum’s solidarity and support during this difficult period.

He stressed that schools must be sanctuaries of learning, not targets of violence, warning that continued assaults on educational institutions risk reversing gains made in improving school enrolment and reducing the out-of-school population in the region.

Mr. Yahaya expressed deep concern over the trauma the abducted schoolgirls may be experiencing and called for an immediate and well-coordinated operation by security agencies to ensure their safe rescue and the arrest of the perpetrators.

Reaffirming the commitment of the NSGF to collaborate with the Federal Government and security institutions, he said the safety, education, and welfare of young Nigerians remain top priorities for the Forum.

He urged communities to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies in the collective effort to rid the region of criminality.